Laptop Advice

neither sage or solidworks are available on mac platform so you would have to run bootcamp with windows or virtulisation software. If these software packages are your 'bread and butter' there is little point in going the mac route.

I can use a MacBook for my stuff and work gave me a Windows Lenova

I would never use the Lenovo out of choice - it is exceptional poor even by Laptop PC standards. Keys often stick, the trackpad has a mind of its own ... why does it need two buttons. And it crashes at least once a day ... a whit screen comes up saying waiting for application to respond

The main three advantages of the MacBook are the hardware and software and support ... they just work. When I turn it on, it boots up and works - it doesn't crash. The free Open Office is superb. 

The Lenovo is one year old and has to be replaced once, the MacBook is 6 years old and runs Snow Leopard faultlessly .. it has never crashed. 

Sorry I don't know the applications you have to use so not sure if they would run ... you can use Crossover to run some Windows programs on a Mac or you can use Parallels to create a Virtual Machine ... I don't do this so can't comment because I won't pay for a Windows licence.  

So no surprises - you are asking me do I prefer a BMW or Ford Escort (with a dent in the side) and I'm saying the former.  

Siemens NX is available for Mac if you can face real CAD tools and not a mid range one, and I say this as a long time SolidEdge user/techy.

As for accounting software have a look at what is available.

This reply was done using Safari on an iMac, I won't go back.

OpenOffice a job to use and punches out PDFs to share docs.

Jono

+1

It might look greener on the other side, but it won't last and frustration will soon set in....  imho.

Roger

Cheers gents.

So Windows 8 it is then.

I'm really torn here.I'm fed up with Windows "slow" to do anything. Slow to start, soo many updates.  I had hoped I could" use  boot camp etc for Windows application ( X2) and Mac for all else.

Should I therefore be looking back at a Windows PC?

Dustysox,

Don't discount the Apple. I had to use a Windows based application for remote reporting of CT scans and was able to apportion part of the hard drive of my MacBook Pro to run windows applications. Ask at the Apple Store. I would never go back to a Windows based computer now. Like Guy I've never had any major issues with Apple and it's never crashed.

ATB

Steve

Cheers Steve,

Anyway what you doing round these parts? I'm expecting  a 10000 word report on the DR's....should you choose to accept it

I guess I'll pop to Apple store tomorrow to see what the fruits of my labour is...... Or I will be popping round to see my best friend Steve and his new DR's!!!!!

from what has been said I guess I'll be returning to Windows. 

The DR's are working beautifully at the moment. I will report more at the end of the weekend. Excuse me whilst I flip the vinyl. 

DR=  & &

Steve

Steve..nice.  

If you get stuck, I can flip the vinyl for ya!!!

Where do you live? Perhaps we can get together at the Tom Tom event.

Steve

Downtown Wokingham Berkshire.

I am booked for Tom Tom. Enjoyed last one, and would be nice to catch up with you and forum Naimess!

Anyway, Mac / PC....you decide 

I switched from a long series of Windows-based laptops to an Apple MacBook Pro in the summer. I won't be switching back.  The quality of machine, ease and stability of the OX operating system is just so, so, much better.  Apple software is also very cheap: Pages and Numbers (the equivalent of Word and Excel) cost £15 each! A family member repairs Apple gear and says the quality,  design and layout of the internals is miles better than the majority of PCs/laptops. £1400 should buy you a nice 15" MacBook Pro.  Just be careful to think about your need for an optical drive as Apple are phasing them out on the latest Retina screen machines.   

Sorry I'm not convinced. You're talking 3-4 times the price of its Windows equivalent. Hardly a fair comparison. Also, Windows has Open Office (equivalent to a large part of MS Office) for free.

A version is also available for Mac but I don't know what it offers.

There's no point in saying that a computer costing £1400 is better than one costing £300-400 when

1. That's debatable and

2. It's a shitload more expensive.

Mac OS is good, Windows 7 is OK, Windows 8 is a Frankenstein.

For laptop with a budget 1400 sterling pounds, a Macbook makes sense. Hardware wise, there is NO comparison - high resolution, excellent trakpad, illuminated keyboard, unibody design. But in terms of software/apps, there is a severe shortage of user friendly, useable apps on the Mac. But you can always install VM for Windows, Linux. I think with the current VM technologies, you can hardly notice the differences in performance.

Mac hardware is sublime.

In the US, a reasonably-priced TechNet subscription gives you a year to try almost every software product Microsoft currently supports.  This caters best to tinkerers, who are loathe to buy software only to find it does not suit.  The best part is the license keys are not time-restricted!

Sounds too good to be true; but it is true.   A bit of fussing with ISO disk images is the small price you pay.  Ideal for developers, and Mac users, IMHO.  Do read and abide by the EULA.

Nick

Tom - DustySox set the budget, not me. I'd suggest that longevity is another factor to weigh here. The laptops in the £300-£400 range you mention do a job for a while but they are flimsy, the battery life is short, and there isn't long-term support when something goes wrong - and in my experience they do.  Aren't there parallels here with Naim gear? Yes you can buy cheaper stuff with similar functionality and specs but we choose to pay the price premium for Naim because quality matters and the back-up is second-to-none .

Peter you are patently wrong about the avilabilty of apps for mac, thats is an argument from 1994

however if you have to use sage for work, there is little point to spending newrly double bubble on a mac.

please be aware there are 5 mac computers, 2 iphones, 1 ipad and an atv in this house. I still recognise when its pointless spending the money, sage would be it.

When i retired i bought myself and her indoors laptops....NOVATECH ...very pleased with them and they do FREE support for the life of the machine. On the few times i have had to use them their support has been very good.

Used to use Sage in my work days,good software but bloody expensive yearly support.

Mista H

Gents, your points are most welcome and all very valid.

I have spent a large portion of the day in the Apple store in Reading.  I was pretty sure I would be walking out with a shinny new Pro today. Sadly I have come home empty handed.

The primary reason is why run Windows on an Apple machine? It defies everything that is the core design of this fine product. If Soildworks and Sage had a Mac platform then it would be a no brainier.  Why buy an M5 BMW and try and take it off road!!! To thy design be true!

My biggest regret is the lack of applications that are widely used are Windows only and being that Apple are such a big concern and being used by many people, I fail to understand why this limitation is in place. It benefits no one and surely can't be a good  commercial decision. It just causes a divide among the buying public and ends in endless debate.

I am therefore reluctantly forced down a Windows road yet again for all its failings, both hardware and software. Over the years it has been a journey of learning and how to "make it work" rather than being productive with ones work.  If I need to spend an hour of my time reviewing a drawing for quotation purposes then why can't I action this rather than spending thirty mins of fixing and not responding and the eternal updates..Windows..Anti virus software, the list is endless.

If any of you know of a make of laptop that ticks my box, please let me know?

It is ultimately your choice, have fun.

But bearing in mind your laptop would last you maybe 1 or 2 years? For years the PC manufacturers have been insulting the user community by making their machines poorly, very poorly. Perhaps, Apple macbooks/products are the wakeup call for them.

Hi Peter,

Are you saying go the Apple route? Do you have experience with running Windows on a Mac?

Over the years, I have accumulated 4 macbook (pro) 17". The early powerpc based laptop was really a pain on the neck to use because it does not have any decent apps, Windows emulation was real bad, real slow because of the incompatibilities between powerpc and intel chips but it was reliable in a sense that it did not crash, the machine still looks good today.

I run Parallels Desktop 8 ( a VM product) on my latest macbook pro and it works great, it does some demanding works without crashing the machine, I can even run my mySql database handling IO of few GB data in realtime (meaning 4 / 5 million transactions per day) without a single issue. But the machine does get hot though. 

O Peter, my mind was all made up!!!! 

What to do....I would like...make that...love a Pro.

I used to be confused, now I'm not sure!!!!

In the US, trial period is 2 weeks, if you do not like it, you can return it within 2 weeks and get a refund. Not sure if the same applied in the UK.

The only thing that you know if you can live with it is to USE it, like the way you choose your own HIFI system.

Windows runs faster and more reliably on a Mac than it does on a PC. My sister has had great success running Windows on her MacBook. She's an MD and needs Windows to do her billing.

Dave